October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
This is now widely acknowledged which is GREAT. But I was aware well before October.
My childhood was awkward and misplaced. I remember a lot but nothing at all. I remember extensive Parts to many stories. Nothing can add up into a whole memory. I’m not sure why. I’ve tried to look up different mental exercises to help improve things a bit up there in the attic but no such avail. But I do know that my grandma had breast cancer.
I was 9? I cant remember this time of my life too well. I have partial memories of the real raw stuff. This story, my uncle’s struggles and death, my aunt losing her mind sort of speak, etc of the nature.
Anyways.
I remember being at our kitchen table. It was daytime, I remember people in the room but unsure who or what they were doing. My grandma had bandages and I didn’t ask why. I didn’t inquire a lot when I was young. No one had time for my questions, I find the answers myself. Research and figuring things out on my own was my thing. So I accepted the bandages and my grandma gone for times.
Have you seen a silicone boob? No, not like what you pay thousands for so you can try and impress a guy who doesn’t want you for anything other than those implants. I’m talking about a silicone breast. It lays against the skin after a mastectomy, it has a nipple and everything and you put a bra on over it as normal. Well I found one once! I forgot what I was going in my grandmother’s drawer for but I found it and she walked and and told me it was her boob. I was like what?! She told me that it was her fake booby the doctor gave her after she had to cut off her real one. She had cancer. But She beat the cancer!
This made me aware at a young age however. I don’t remember how old I was when I first learned about checking your breasts for lumps to identify potential breast cancer. But I remember learning that it could be genetically passed down that you will be more likely to develop it. I knew I had a higher chance. I knew I had to be aware. That scared me. I could wake up one day and have a lump. A whirlwind of events would ensue and I would lose control of my life. See the dark rabbit hole? I cannot get cancer. HERE you can find instructions on how to perform a self breast exam. I check mine ALL THE TIME. There are better times to check than just all the time.
There are ways to “prevent” breast cancer:
Perform the self exams
Exercise- this lowers body fat and lowers risk of cancer and other serious conditions
Eat Healthy- Also lowers body fat, healthy foods such as fruits and veggies may contain nutrients that aid in cancer prevention.
Get a mammogram-this is key in early detection to increase survival rates ten fold, the earlier the better.
My grandma survived. So can the rest of us.
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